Photographing Two-Legged & Four-Legged Kids at Super Monday

Kathy Kupka, of Kathy Kupka Photography in Leesburg, Virginia, operates a thriving toddler and dog photography business--it gets crazy in there, we're sure! But actually, the two types of photography have more in common than you'd think, as she'll show you in her "Two-Legged & Four-Legged Kids: Behind the Scenes" Super Monday classin Leesburg, VA on October 15!

Starting Out with Kids & DogsCaptivated by photography since she was a child, Kathy recalls going to Philadelphia on a school assignment and photographing the historic sites. "I can still see those black-and-white images, and I have had a camera ever since," Kathy recalls. Little did she know where it would take her!

After graduating from high school and working as a secretary, Kathy began taking photography classes when she moved to Virginia in 1994. "When I started those classes, my first grandson was born, and I used him as a model for my assignments. Then I started photographing my nieces and nephews and the kids of the people I worked with," Kathy says. "I loved it. I noticed that while everyone wanted a picture taken quickly, I had patience and wanted to keep working until I got the perfect shot."

Kathy established her photography business as a part-time job in 1998, and in two short years, it became her full-time job. Eventually, her experience working with children led her to photographing dogs, too!

"I found that photographing dogs was just like photographing toddlers," she explains. "I loved it, and I had the patience for it." (Passion and patience...both are extremely important in that line of work!)

And her photography has had inspirational side effects! Kathy has created her own line of doggie greeting cards, and has used the images she has captured to create an inspirational "But There Is Treatment" presentation for cancer patients: "The slideshow presentation chronicles the ups and downs of my own experience being treated for Multiple Myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells. In it, I use my dog images for the purpose of encouragement and inspiration to those who are afflicted by cancer and its treatments."

She's shown the presentation at many venues, including Johns Hopkins, Relay for Life, Myeloma Institute, Rotary Clubs and many more. "I've received so many wonderful testimonials from cancer patients and many others."

Showing YOU How to Succeed With Kids & DogsIf you want to learn how Kathy made these two photo markets pay off, don't miss her "Two-Legged & Four-Legged Kids: Behind the Scenes" Super Monday class on October 15. She'll cover a wide-range of topics, including how to handle clients for both types of sessions, window lighting, photographing in a home studio, backdrops, props and how to use your photography to create interesting marketing pieces.

Kathy's got a lot to share, so if you're interested in either type of photography, this could be the class for you!

Super Monday is an educational program sponsored by PPA every spring and fall. These daylong, interactive workshops are conducted in locations around the country, allowing PPA members to earn merits for sharing their craft and enabling all photographers to learn new skills and develop professional networking contacts.